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Are you dreaming of a Disney World trip but want to avoid the high cost of park tickets? Credit card rewards can be a great way to make this dream of the most magical place more affordable. By strategically using the right credit cards and leveraging the value of their rewards programs, you can cover—or significantly reduce—the cost of Disney tickets.

Here’s a guide on how to use credit card reward points to secure your Disney World park tickets, making your magical vacation even sweeter.

1. Choose the Right Credit Card for Your Disney Goals

To make the most of your rewards, start by selecting credit cards with points that can be redeemed or transferred for Disney expenses. Some cards are ideal for travel points you can convert into cash or statement credits, while others provide direct booking options through their travel portals.

Top credit card options for Disney World tickets include:

Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve – Points can be redeemed through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal or transferred to airline and hotel partners to cover other Disney expenses, freeing up more cash for tickets.
Capital One Venture Rewards – Allows points to "erase" travel purchases, including certain Disney tickets bought through travel websites or ticket providers.
American Express Membership Rewards – Offers flexibility by letting you redeem points for flights or accommodations through the Amex Travel portal or transfer them to partner airlines and hotels.

2. Redeem Points via Travel Portals for Disney Tickets

Several credit card issuers, like Chase and Capital One, allow you to book theme park tickets through their travel portals, which can sometimes include Disney park tickets. Here’s how it works:

Check Availability in Your Portal: Log into your credit card’s rewards portal and search for Disney World tickets. Chase Ultimate Rewards, for instance, sometimes includes Disney park tickets, especially during popular seasons or promotions.
Use Points for Booking: If Disney tickets are available, you can use your points to cover all or part of the purchase.
Redeem for Maximum Value: Chase Sapphire Reserve points, for example, are worth 1.5 cents each in the Ultimate Rewards portal, which can make a significant impact on the cost of pricey park tickets.

Tip: Be aware that availability can vary, so if you don’t see tickets right away, check back periodically or call your card's travel assistance line to inquire about Disney tickets.

3. Use Points For Disney Tickets Purchased Through a 3rd Party

If Disney tickets aren’t available directly in your credit card portal, don’t worry—many credit card issuers allow you to book Disney tickets through partner websites and use points as a statement credit to "erase" the travel purchase. For this to work, often the ticket purchase must be coded as travel. A Very important note: Disney World park tickets purchased directly from the Disney World site do NOT code as travel. For tickets to code as travel, use an approved vendor such as Undercover Tourist.

Capital One Venture: With Capital One Venture Rewards, miles may be redeemed for travel purchases made on the card. You can buy Disney tickets through certain travel agencies, like Undercover Tourist or Disney-approved resellers. Simply pay with your Capital One Venture Rewards credit card, then use your points to cover the charge as a travel purchase. Venture points are redeemable at 1 cent per point, so 10,000 points equals a $100 ticket credit. The key is to make sure it will code as travel.
Chase Sapphire Reserve: You can use the card's annual travel credit toward Disney tickets as long as it codes as a travel charge (see above).
American Express Membership Rewards: American Express travel points can be used towards a PayPal checkout. Several third-party Disney Ticket vendors, such as Orbitz, Expedia, and Undercover Tourist, allow PayPal to be used at checkout. Redeeming travel reward points this way is not the best way to use American Express travel points; however, if you would like to limit cash spent on your trip, this is an option.

We used the American Express Membership rewards option on our last trip to Disney and our entire trip, including airfare, hotels, and park tickets for $1,414.

4. Consider a Disney Gift Card Option

Some cards allow you to redeem points for Disney gift cards, which you can then use to buy tickets directly from Disney.

Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards offer gift card redemption options. While the redemption rates may not always be as high as those for direct travel bookings, gift cards offer flexibility and can be used on everything from park tickets to food, merchandise, and more.

For example, Chase’s Sapphire Preferred and Reserve cards often offer $50 Disney gift cards for 5,000 points. This option is great if you only need to cover part of your ticket cost or if you're looking for a flexible way to use smaller point balances.

6. Use Sign-Up Bonuses to Boost Your Points Balance

Sign-up bonuses are one of the fastest ways to earn a large sum of points quickly. If you’re planning a Disney trip within the next year or so, consider opening a new credit card with a high welcome bonus to cover tickets, hotels, or other Disney expenses.

Chase Sapphire Preferred – Often offers 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months. This bonus alone can cover the cost of Disney park tickets for a family of four when booked through the Chase travel portal.
Capital One Venture Rewards – With bonuses often reaching 50,000 points after $3,000 in spend, this card’s bonus can cover a large portion of ticket costs when redeemed through the Capital One travel portal or as statement credits.
Consider Co-Branded cards such as the Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton to cover hotels near Disney World.

Just remember to spend responsibly to meet bonus requirements without overspending. These bonuses can make a serious dent in your Disney expenses.

7. Additional Tips for Maximizing Points Redemption for Disney

Planning is key when using credit card points for Disney tickets. Here are some timing and strategy tips:

Book Early: Park ticket prices fluctuate, and buying tickets as soon as you know your travel dates can save you money.
Monitor Travel Portals: The availability of Disney tickets in credit card travel portals changes frequently, so check back often if you’re set on using points this way.
Combine Rewards: Many rewards programs allow you to combine points from different cards or household members to make the most of your point pool. For example, Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be combined among family members, which can be especially helpful if you’re pooling points for a larger family trip.
Use a travel partner: In order to increase your Sign Up Bonuses, you and your travel partner can alternate reward card sign-ups. To learn more about using a rewards points partner check out our post.
Maximize Bonus Categories: Each travel rewards card will offer bonus points for different categories such as grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, etc. Keep track of which of your cards offer bonuses where, and use your cards accordingly. If you need help tracking which card to use where consider our Credit Cards Rewards Spreadsheet.

8. Use Rakuten to Earn Amex Membership Rewards

Rakuten is one of many online shopping portals that partners with thousands of retailers to give you a percentage of your purchase back every time you shop through their portal. Rakuten allows you to either earn cash-back rewards or convert your cashback to American Express Membership rewards. Sign up to Rakuen with our link to get a cash-back bonus.

Amex membership rewards can be used in the Amex travel portal, be transferred to various American Express partners (hotels and airfare), or can be used for tickets to the Disney theme parks when purchased through certain third-party vendors that accept Paypal as payment (see number 3 above). Any extra points gets you that much closer to saving money on park tickets

Using credit card reward points for Disney parks tickets is a practical, flexible way to reduce the financial burden of a Disney vacation. By leveraging points earned on everyday purchases, maximizing sign-up bonuses, and being strategic about which card you choose, you can create a plan that helps cover the cost of Disney tickets or other vacation essentials.

Other Ways to Save on your Walt Disney World Resort Vacation

Look into ways to save on hotels by using reward points such as Hilton, Hyatt, or Marriott points. A popular option is the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel using Marriott Bonvoy points (and free night certificates). Many hotels near Disney can be booked using various reward points with great amenities, such as the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. If keeping costs down is a priority, many hotels near Disney World offer free breakfast or a free shuttle.

Whether it’s through portal bookings, statement credits, or PayPal you’re well on your way to unlocking the magic of Disney with points. Happy travels, and enjoy the magic!

Credit Card Reward Points for Disney Park Tickets